Sleeping position linked to the risk of stillbirth

Pregnant women who go to sleep on their back during the later stages of pregnancy face an increased likelihood of suffering a stillbirth, according to new research.

The study of more than 1,000
women found doing so made it 2.3 times more likely that stillbirth would occur.

The findings support previous
smaller-scale studies suggesting a link between sleep position and late-stage
fetal death.

The research involved an
international collaboration, including the universities of Manchester and Leeds, and the results
are published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Around 11 babies every day in
the UK are stillborn  that is about one in 225 babies. The UK ranks 24th
out of 49 high-income countries for stillbirth rates.

The researchers point to the UKs
comparatively high stillbirth rate to argue that the situation in the UK should
be improved.

More than 1,000 women from
the Midlands and North of England were recruited into the study  291 women who
had a stillbirth 28 weeks or later into their pregnancy and 735 women who had a
live birth, the control group. The women were interviewed about their sleeping
positions amongst a number of other factors.

Link between sleeping position and stillbirth

An analysis of the results
reveal that women who had a late stillbirth were 2.3 times more likely to
report going to sleep on their back on the night before the baby died.

Dr Tomasina Stacey, lecturer
in maternal health at the University of Leeds and a member of the research
team, said: A stillbirth is a devastating experience.

The message that emerges
from this research though, is that women can modify this particular risk factor
themselves. When they go to bed, they should try to settle to sleep on their
side and not their back  it doesnt matter if its the left side or the right
side.

She added: They should not
worry if they wake up and find themselves on their back. The important thing is
to commence sleep on their side.

The researchers estimate that
if no pregnant women slept on her back, late-stage stillbirths could fall by
3.7 per cent in England.

The study did not investigate
how sleeping positions were impacting on the unborn baby but the researchers
suggest a number of theories.

Baby could experience reduced oxygen flow

In the late stage of pregnancy,
when a women is lying on her back the combined weight of the baby and the womb
puts pressure on the mothers blood flow and this can restrict blood flow and
oxygen to the baby. Also, a woman may experience disturbed breathing patterns
when she is asleep on her back.

Dr Stacey was one of the
first academics to highlight the association between sleep position and the
increased risk of stillbirth in a paper that was published in the BMJ in 2011.

Then working in New Zealand,
she said more research was needed to confirm her findings. Since then there
have been three other studies with similar results. This latest research is the largest investigation
of the observation to date.

Tommys is launching a public
health campaign to alert women that it is safer for their baby to sleep on
their side.

Louise Silverton, Director for Midwifery at the Royal College of
Midwives, said: We must do all we can to bring stillbirth rates down.

This addition to current knowledge is very welcome. The Tommys
campaign and the research findings are a great example of how through making
small changes we can begin to bring down stillbirth rates. It is a simple
change that can make a difference and it will be important to ensure that this
is communicated effectively to women.

Listen to Dr Stacey explain the risks of stillbirth among pregnant women who go to sleep on their backs.

Further information

Journalists with questions or who would like to interview Dr Stacey should contact David
Lewis in the University of Leeds press office on 0113 343 8059 or email d.lewis@leeds.ac.uk